North American Digital Government Working Group

Summary

Project started on Nov. 18, 2008 (Completed)

None

The North American Digital Government Working Group (NADGWG) was formed in early 2007 by researchers and practitioners from a variety of institutions and disciplines in Canada, the United States and Mexico to advance electronic government research across geographic and political boundaries in the region.  The working group members are  developing a comparative and transnational research agenda targeted at questions about intergovernmental digital government initiatives in North America. This group was formed with the support of the National Science Foundation Digital Government Research Program and the home institutions of the members.

Scope of Work

Working group members are focused on building understanding of the social and technical capabilities necessary to tackle these important public policy problems both within countries and when those countries work together on these problems. The group seeks to better understand the role of technology plays in the ability of individual nations to respond to public problems and in the ability of nations to work together in response to transnational problems. The focus on Canada, Mexico, and the United States allows the researchers to look at topics that are germane to North America as a whole. The group is exploring current models of collaboration and cooperation being employed across the geographic, jurisdictional and political boundaries of North America; attending to the unique characteristics of both developed and developing countries and presidential and parliamentary systems.

As the governments of the world evolve toward a more global perspective on the social, political, and economic issues facing our nations it is critical that research efforts are sensitive to and respond to this evolution as well. New requirements for cross-boundary collaboration driven by a global view demand new understanding about how individual nations respond to public problems and about how nations work together in response to transnational problems. New forms of government enabled by technologies made possible through new models of cooperation and collaboration must be explored and tested. As researchers, we must also create new models and strategies for working together across geographic and political boundaries, focusing on the efforts of government as they seek to work in this new way. This working group will explore new models of collaboration required by the global nature of government problems as well as the role of technology in facilitating these inter-organizational initiatives. The activities of this working group include the development and pursuit of a research agenda that attends to comparative questions about intergovernmental and transnational digital government initiatives in North America.

Although the three countries of North America are very different in many aspects (providing good variation), they have important similarities in government and federal systems. Project leaders in the three countries appreciate the importance of intergovernmental relationships for the success of many digital government initiatives. In addition, the three countries are closely related and interdependent in several political, economic, and social issues. Therefore, the results may also have important policy implications for each of the three countries and North America as a whole. Finally, the inclusion of a developing country, a country with a highly developed presidential – system, and one with a highly developed parliamentarian – system allows the results to be relevant to many countries specifically as well as many regions around the world.

Group co-chairs are Dr. Theresa A. Pardo from the Center for Technology in Government, University at Albany, SUNY and Dr. Luis F. Luna-Reyes from the Universidad de las Americas, Mexico. The working group includes members from three countries: Canada, Mexico, and the United States. Eleven institutions are represented by the group.

Together, the Working Group members are producing a series of deliverables for academics and practitioners, including reports, papers, cases or methodological notes among others. The products under development include resources for practitioners throughout North America and beyond as they work both within and across boundaries to enhance capability within multi-jurisdictional policy domains. Due to the diversity present in the three North American countries, this Working Group is able to develop lessons not only for the region, but also for developing and developed countries facing similar policy issues around the world. As such, the value of the research can be extended beyond the North America to other regions of the world facing similar sets of challenges.

In addition to the research value, the working group members are gaining useful insights into the process of creating an international research community; exploring the role of technology to support collaboration among geographically dispersed researchers, developing strategies for creating research proposals  that are relevant to funding organizations in multiple countries, and responding to the multiple research traditions and practitioner priorities in identifying priorities.

Press Releases & News Stories

Press Releases

Publications & Results

Journal Articles

Luna-Reyes, L. F., Gil-García, J. R., Pardo, T. A., Zheng, L., & Zhang, J. (2008). Grupo de Investigación sobre Gobierno Digital en América del Norte: Pasos Iniciales en el Desarrollo de una Agenda de Investigación Comparativa y Transnacional. Revista de Administración Pública, 116.

Zheng, L, Zhang, J, Pardo, T.A., &Luna-Reyes, L. F., (2008) North American Digital Government Working Group: Initial Steps in the Development of a Comparative and Transnational Agenda, China E-gov Journal, October, 2008 (in Chinese)

Conference Papers

  • Andersen, D. F., Luna-Reyes, L. F., Whitmore, A., Zhang, J., & Roy, R. (2008). Exploring the Dynamics of Full Information Product Pricing Networks: the Case of Fair Trade Coffee in Mexico. Paper presented at the 2008 International Conference of the System Dynamics Society, Athens, Greece, July 20-23, 2008.
  • Luna-Reyes, L. F., Zhang, J., Roy, R., Andersen, D. F., Andersen, M., Arcelus de Diego, J., & Whitmore, A. (2009). Information Strategies to Support Full Information Product Pricing: the Role of Trust. Paper presented at the HICSS-42, Waikoloa, Hawaii, January 5-8, 2009.
  • Pardo, T.A., Gil-Garcia, J.R., & Luna-Reyes, L.F. (2008). Collaborative Governance and Cross-Boundary Information Sharing: Envisioning a Networked and IT-Enabled Public Administration. Paper presented at the Minnowbrook III Conference, Lake Placid, NY, September 5-7, 2008.
  • Navarrete, C., Mellouli, S., Pardo, T. A & Gil-Garcia, J.R. (2009). Information Sharing at National Borders: Extending the Utility of Border Theory. Paper presented at the HICSS-42, Waikoloa, Hawaii, January 5-8, 2009.

Panel Presentations

The North American Workgroup on Digital Government : Transnational Projects and Processes

  • Gregg, V. & Dawes, S.S. (2008). Building a Sustainable International Digital Government Research Community. Panel presented at the 9th International Digital Government Research Conference (dg.o 2008), Montréal, Canada.
  • Gregg, V. & Dawes, S.S. (2007). Building a Sustainable International Digital Government Research Community. Panel presented at the 8th International Digital Government Research Conference (dg.o 2007), Philadelphia, PA.

Poster Sessions

  • Navarrete, C., Pardo, T., Gil-Garcil, R.J., Zhang, J., & Luna-Reyes, L.F., North American digital government working group: initial steps in the development of a comparative and transnational agenda. The 9th International Digital Government Research Conference. 2008. p. 395-396
  • Zheng, L., Pardo, T., Navarrete, C., & Mellouli, S., Information sharing and interoperability at the borders: A Study of North America. The 9th International Digital Government Research Conference. 2008. p. 381-382
  • Zhang, J., Roy, R., Luna-Reyes, L.F., Dávila, I.L., Andersen, D.F., Cid, G., Bryce, K., DeMarco, T., & Whitmore, A. Exploring Digital Government Initiatives to Expand Full Information Product Pricing (FIPP) Networks in NAFTA. Poster presented at the 9th International Digital Government Research Conference (dg.o 2008), Montréal, Canada.
  • Gil-Garcia, J.R., Helbig, N., Pardo, T., Luna-Reyes, L.F., Navarette, C. (2007). Working Group on Comparative and Transnacional Digital Government in North America. Poster presented at the 8th International Digital Government Research Conference (dg.o 2007), Philadelphia, PA.

Related Websites

Partners

Co-chairs

  • Theresa Pardo, Center for Technology in Government, University at Albany *
  • Luis F. Luna-Reyes, Universidad de las Americas, Mexico. *

Members

  • David Andersen, University at Albany/SUNY, U.S.
  • Josune Arcelus, Mexico City Government, Mexico
  • Monique Charbonneau, Centre Francophone d’informatisation des Organizations, Canada
  • Anthony Cresswell, Center for Technology in Government, University at Albany, U.S.
  • Jane E. Fountain, University of Massachusetts Amherst, U.S.
  • J. Ramon Gil-Garcia, Centro de Investigación y Docencia Económicas, Mexico *
  • Herbert Kubicek, University of Bremen, Germany
  • Irak López-Dávila, Mexico City Government, Mexico
  • Sehl Mellouli, Université de Laval, Canada *
  • Celene Navarrete, Claremont Graduate University, U.S. *
  • Paul Prevost, Universite de Sherbrooke, Canada
  • Gabriel Puron Cid, University at Albany/SUNY, U.S.
  • Jeffrey Roy, Dalhousie University, Canada
  • Rejean Roy, Centre Francophone d’informatisation des Organizations, Canada
  • Rodrigo Sandoval-Almazán, Instituto Tecnologico y de Estudios Superiores de Monterrey, Mexico
  • Jochen Scholl, University of Washington, U.S.
  • Clay Ward, U.S.
  • Andrew Whitmore, University at Albany/SUNY, U.S.
  • Jing Zhang, Clark University, U.S. *
  • Lei Zheng, Center for Technology in Government, University at Albany, U.S. *

* Management Team

 

Funding Sources

  • $75,000: National Science Foundation, Intergovernmental and Inter-organizational Digital Government Initiatives in Multi-Jurisdictional Policy Domains: A Comparative and Transnational Research Agenda from the Cases of Canada, Mexico and the United States, Principal Investigator, Grant Period 2007-2009.

NADGWG is partially supported by the National Science Foundation Digital Government Research Program under Grant No. 37656, noted above, as well as by the home institutions of members in Canada, Mexico, and the United States:

  • Université Laval, Centre Francophone d’informatisation des Organizations (CEFRIO)
  • Dalhousie University
  • Center for Technology in Government, University at Albany/SUNY
  • University of Massachusetts Amherst
  • Claremont Graduate University
  • Clark University, University of Washington
  • Centro de Investigación y Docencia Económicas
  • Universidad de las Américas-Puebla
  • Universidad Autónoma del Estado de México
  • INFOTEC
  • Instituto Tecnológico de Estudios Superiores de Monterey, Universidad Autónoma de Nuevo Leon
  • University of Bremen

Working Group members have successfully secured support through a variety of additional funding organizations.

Grants:

  • $4,000 USD: University at Albany Faculty Research Awards Program (FRAP). The program provides seed funding to support faculty research and other creative endeavors through grants-in-aid. The grant will support activities of the Full Information Product Pricing Networks subgroup, Grant Period 2009-2012.
  • $40,000 Mexican Pesos (approximately $3,000 USD): Programa Inter-institucional de Estudios sobre la Región de América del Norte (PIERAN), Collaboration, Information Sharing, and Interoperability at the North American Borders. A small grant to organize a workshop involving researchers from the three countries, Grant Period 2009.
  • $130,000 Mexican Pesos (approximately $13,000 USD): Consejo Nacional de Ciencia y Tecnología (CONACYT), Full Information Product Pricing (FIPP): ICT Strategies to promote local and regional development. A grant to conduct field work with coffee producers in Mexico. Project no. 84082, Grant Period 2008-2009.
  • $111,650 Mexican Pesos (approximately $9,000 USD): Consejo Nacional de Ciencia y Tecnología (CONACYT). Working Group Meetings on Intergovernmental and Inter-organizational Digital Government Initiatives in Multi-Jurisdictional Policy Domains: A Comparative and Transnational Research Agenda for North America. Funding to support the travel costs of the Mexican members for meetings held during 2008. Grant No. I0110/127/08, Grant Period 2008

Pending proposals:

  • $500,000 Mexican Pesos (approximately $35,000 USD): Programa Inter-institucional de Estudios sobre la Región de América del Norte (PIERAN), Collaboration Information Sharing and Interoperability in North America.
  • $740,911 USD: US National Science Foundation, Community-based Data Interoperability Networks (INTEROP), Building Information Sharing Networks to Support Consumer Choice (I-Choose).